OneHunter
by UnKnown294
Summary: Niko finds themselves in a world full of foliage and beasts that want to kill them. The exception was that they meet a female Anjanath. (A collaborative story between me and Fall2Glory.)


In a forest of an unknown area, there was a strange occurrence that rarely ever happened. A child of some sort can be seen sleeping in a pile of leaves, curled up and alone. They, however, were safe, or as safe as one could be in that area. However, there were the sounds of a rhythmic rumble slowly making its way to the child. This child was named Niko.

Their figure goes rigid when they hear it. A golden eye pops open before the other does and they look around the area that they were in, pushing themselves up quickly due to fright. Head swiveling around, a frightened whimpering noise made its way out of them, a bit of shivering vibrating their being to their core. They question where they were, how'd they get here, and so on and so forth. They notice they're on a bed of leaves, kinda soft like a bed, but a bit damp. They turn their head in front of them just as the sounds were coming closer.

Slowly, the source of the noise came into view and it could be easily described as a T-Rex mixed with something else. Its sharp teeth were visible as it looks at the small child. Its breath was visible, despite the humidity, and was incredibly hot, temperature wise. It was an Anjanath and it looked ready to pounce on some easy prey.

Bright eyes went wide as dinner plates once they saw the beast and the child stumbles to their feet, making the leaves crunch under them. They backpedaled away, wishing to get away as quickly as they could, but a root from a tree causes them to tip backwards. With a barely audible thump, they land flat on their back, their hat coming off beside them, and the figure comes closer as they lied there. They were thinking of being eaten, being teared apart into pieces of flesh and bones. Those thoughts made them shake harder and curl up into a ball.

Suddenly, when they stepped on the pile of leaves the child was sleeping on, there was a flash that forced the child to close their eyes, then the footsteps seemed lighter as something almost fell on them.

They didn't take the chance to uncover them though, too frightened to see the form shifting into a smaller being of their bigger self. The shaking didn't stop once a couple of hands found themselves sliding underneath their being, gentle as they were, as if they were fragile as a priceless vase. They were then being snuggled into the newcomer's body, being handled comfortably in their arms, and the shaking stops at the warm they were giving off. Is it safe to come out, they were thinking. They unfurl themselves to look up at the being's face, blinking in surprise.

The Anjanath was most definitely now a female humanoid, especially if the chest was that busty. Their skin was pink and purple and their teeth were now covered with a soft smile. The only weird thing about her, otherwise, was that she had a purple mohawk on her head. "Don't worry. Mamma's got you."

The child blinks at her again. They couldn't make out what she was saying because her voice was in a mixture of soft growls and purrs. However, the tones weren't threatening and she didn't look like she was gonna eat them by the toothy smile on her lips. Otherwise, they'd be dead by now with their blood splattering the foliage. It would've been stupid to get over being frightened by this beast, if not for them being a young child that's willing to accept anyone. And so, they slowly nodded to the female, eyes that still held fear in them being kept onto her face.

She sniffed them lightly before stroking their back. "I won't hurt you, little one." She tells them as she hugged the small child closer, the child's face by her neck.

Niko went a bit rigid once they were being hugged, but soon relaxed as to thinking this wasn't something harmful. They weren't that dumb to accept their comfort. Between her and the unknown world, they rather take her side than trying to get themselves killed by another monstrous beast that would definitely eat them the second that they were spotted. At least, they have an acquaintance to work with for the time being.

"I'll take you to my nest, little one. There, you'll be safe and I can feed you." She tells them before walking the same way she came from. She then stops by the pile of leaves and picks up some sort of light bulb-like object that was currently off.

The child glances at the light bulb in her claws, their gaze held stuck to it. The light bulb came with them, they remembered nearly faintly. They were falling through a black void and while their limbs were flailing around, their fingers brushed up against the object, making it glow for a second. They decided to reach out and it made them and the surroundings glow before being engulfed into it. After that, it was a hazy mess of colors and light before blacking out.

They reach out with both sleeved covered hands, trying not to act too eagerly as to let the female being know they wanted it badly. That would've been embarrassing for them. It's got to do with them, as they've concluded, and possibly this world, so it'll be a great clue to have in order to get back to their world.

The Anjanath noticed Niko trying to grab the lightbulb, so she moves it into their reach. When Niko grabs it, the object didn't light up brilliantly or brightly, but instead glowed as a soft night light. With that in hand, they set off towards a location that the Anjanath knows.

* * *

Soon, they made their way into a clearing and a giant tree was visible not too far from them.

Eyes widen at the sheer size of the tree. They had to lift their head up to see the top, making their neck bend back a bit, much to their discomfort. The roots were long, looking like wooden snakes coming out of the ground, and the trees below were like a mat around the base. The top was covered in half foliage and branches, making it look like a humongous tree giant. Their mouth hung open a little the closer they've got to it, both in fascination and shock.

The Anjanath giggled a little at Niko's expression. Before long, they had entered the inside of the tree before she took a route that eventually exited into an area so covered in vines that she was easily walking on them. She soon puts Niko down on the ground before telling them. "Stay here. I'll bring you food."

By the look that was given to them, they tilted their head a bit in thinking about what the beast had said. It was then several seconds later that they were captivated by the inside of the female beast's nest. As they've stood on twisted branches that acted as flooring, the leaves above them were a canopy. Rays of sunshine were coming through some spots, helping in lighting up the place, and they spotted the large opening leading out to a large branch. The room itself was huge enough to be a house.

As soon as the Anjanath had left for a few minutes, she returns with a large slab of meat that looked like it was still raw. "I'm back with food." She tells them.

It was placed on the ground, making a heavy thud once it landed. The child had taken a step back due to surprise, seeing that the slab of meat was a bit bigger than their entire body. They look up at the female beast in question, pleading a bit to her to not make them eat it. They remember having a friend who had gotten food poisoning from eating raw meat and had gotten sick from it for about a week.

"Oh, uh, do you want me to do what those humans do and make it brown?" She asked with a tilt of her head in confusion.

Not understanding what she had asked, Niko tries to decipher the question based on the color, body structure, and tones. By color, she was pink and it's associated with red, so they think she can breath fire. Also, she nearly looks like a dragon to them with the scales and long tail. And the tones used were offering, not forcing. The child nods from the conclusion that she can heat the raw meat slab.

She smiled before she opened her mouth and spits a fireball that engulfed the meat for a few seconds. It quickly fades, revealing a mostly brown meat and slightly over-cooked skin.

The child looks between her and the meat slab with awe, making them smile in thanks. "Th-Thank you, miss…" They said in a gentle voice before taking a seat, crossing their legs, and then picking off a piece of cooked meat. Niko hums in satisfaction from the taste. It kinda tastes like hamburgers.

The Anjanath smiled when she saw the satisfaction in Niko's face. She quietly uttered a, "You're welcome.", before looking out the entrance to make sure nothing was attracted by the smell.

Soon the sun began to set and the moon became visible, as with the millions of stars.

After eating, the cat-like child looks at the female beast in question, tilting their head a bit to the right. "Did you want to eat as well, miss…?"

She shook her head. She had eaten while she was hunting for them.

"Oh… Okay. That's fine with me." They replied before placing their sight to the darkened sky.

"It's getting late." She tells them, then softly utters, "You should start going to sleep."

They turn to look at her, then back to the stars. It was getting late and by this time, they should get some sleep. Niko nods their head to her in agreement, thinking that's what she was saying, then getting up from their perch by the opening. A small yawn escapes them. "If I may ask, where do you sleep…?"

She smiled before hugging them and bringing them close to her. "Anywhere." She answered softly, her arms wrapped protectively around the child.

The warmth is back as they lied down by a wall far from the opening with them leaning against her in a comfortable position. Since the sun had set, the wind had cooled down, making the room quite nice to bear with. Between the two, they were a comfortable mixture of temperature, by the child's opinion. They snuggled against her, nuzzling their face into her neck once again, contently being lulled into sleep.

At least they weren't alone in the dark.

* * *

When the sun was rising, it wasn't the only light that was bright. The light bulb Niko had was now even brighter than before, shining with a soft glow.

At some point during the night, the child had turned in their sleep, either from being uncomfortable or by something else. They were facing away from the female beast, curled up a bit into a ball. They were dreaming, about the waving golden field of wheat and the breeze brushing through them. Their town was behind them, off in the distance, and they turned around to face the buildings with a bright smile.

The Anjaneth, meanwhile, had buried herself in Niko's hair, her eyes closed as she snored lightly. Suddenly, her nose lifted and her larger sniffer was visible and she let out a particularly loud snore before her eyes opened.

The breeze stops and the wheat field goes still. They turn in a swift movement to see that the clouds were gathering slowly from the north and east sides, the grays indicating rain. Rain wasn't fun and being caught in it was worse, as their mother had told them.

The Anjanath didn't want to see another monster threaten the child, so she had to mark them as her child. To do this, she did the one thing an Anjanath does to mark their territory and began to lick their face and bare skin.

It was beginning to cool off until a burning sensation was felt on their face. From where, they didn't know. They rub at where they think it was, but that didn't work. Then, they rubbed at another place, and while they had their eyes closed in reality, their hand came up to their face to scratch the spot. It burned a bit on their finger and in their dream, they flinch from the feeling. They flicked their hand a bit to ward off the burning sensation.

Once the Anjanath finished, the spit quickly began to cool down before becoming a pleasant coolness. But, the smell was now obvious on them now and it smelled like something burning, when nothing was.

The clouds were now overhanging them and they start to sprinkle lightly. Another breeze comes through and they begin their way back to town. However, the rain had picked up in an unnatural speed, coming down onto them in a downpour. With how far the distance between them and the town was, they'd be soaked to the bone at this point. They start to run in high speed, the wheat field wavering through the harsh wind and rain.

Their body in reality curled up more, their face scrunched a bit. Booming thunder was crashing through the skies and lightning lit up like bug zappers. It seems to them that there was no end through the field and town seemed to be getting smaller the further they try to run. It was then that a ringing noise came and the ground slips from under them, the last of the thunder rumbling above closing off their sound through their ears as they fell.

The monster girl lightly shook Niko's shoulder. "Wake up, little one." She softly commanded. Her smile was gentle, but she was worried for the little kitten.

In abruptness, the child opens their golden eyes and leans up quickly. There was a nearly inaudible thump from when the cat-like youngling bounced from waking up. They breathe in large amounts of air as if they've ran for so long without a break, their head dipping down to cover their face. Both arms felt stiff as they held them up, beginning to shake from their weight.

"Are you okay, little one?" She asked them as she lightly pet their back out of concern.

Hearing the light purr, Niko tries to get their breathing under control before heavily looking up towards the female beast in front of them. Tiredness was evident in their yellow eyes, but the smile, albeit small, was noticeable enough to say they were okay. "I-I'm… I-I am alright, miss…" They shakily said.

She looked at them in concern before smiling in return and kissing their forehead. "If you're up to it then, would you like to come with me to hunt?" She asked them.

Taking their hands off the floor and letting them hang beside their body, Niko tilts their head a bit before seeing something bright next to them. They look at it in surprise for a few seconds, then takes it with both arms, letting it rest on their crossed legs. It seemed brighter than before, but it doesn't seem suspicious to them right now. They glance at the female beast in question, not knowing what she wanted exactly. Although, the tone she used was maybe offering.

The Anjaneth tilted her head to the exit to indicate where they'd be going.

With that, Niko's eyes brighten a bit in understanding. She meant that she was going out hunting, so that means that they'll have to go with her as to not be alone and get caught by a threatening monster. That makes sense, they think. Nodding to her with a smile, the cat-like child stands up with the lightbulb in their arms. "Okay… We'll go hunting, miss."

The Anjanath smiled softly before picking up the cat person, then began heading out.

* * *

 **-Literally 5 Minutes later-**

She had a Tobi-Kadachi pinned under her. Or, she would have, if she was her normal size, so really it was more like she was riding its back and trying to bite through its neck.

As the beast was making her hunt, she had placed Niko in a secluded branch that was high enough that no predators can get to them and letting the leaves cloak them from their sight. They watched the fight between the two, the female beast not having a good time in getting the other's neck because of her size difference. It was a tough looking battle from their view point.

They start to wonder if it was their fault that they made her smaller than her original self, thus enabling her to defend herself more against other deadly predators. The youngling hugs the lightbulb a bit tighter, a frown settling on their face. They should apologize once she gets done with taking down the enemy.

The Tobi-Kadachi eventually shook her off, jumping and clinging onto the side of the tree Niko was on, before letting out a loud roar that would force Niko to let go of the bulb and cover their ears. The light bulb drops to hit the monster on the head, making it release a flash of bright light.

When the roar was gone, the child quickly realized that the light bulb had escaped their grasp. Frightened, Niko looks down to see it lying on the ground next to the predator that the female monster was fighting. Oh no, they lost it! However, their eyes widen at the new sight.

On the ground was a woman with silver and blue scales, pure white hair going down to a tail left over from her monster form. On her arms were webbing that attached to her legs, but seemed to be retracted to skin level. She had rather wide hips compared to the Anjanath, and her eyes were pure red. "Fother Mucker..." She groaned in pain.

Seeing that the other predator had become human-like, the child's eyes widen in understanding. It was the light bulb that turned the female beast into a smaller form, not them! Although, technically they have ownership of it and they still feel bad for letting it turn into that body. Nonetheless, the bright object was the culprit!

Now, how to retrieve it from that predator…?

"Oh, so that's what happened." The Anjanath realized as she makes her way to the Tobi-Kadachi. She was about to pick up the light bulb when the Tobi-Kadachi suddenly leaped onto her, their lips accidentally meeting as they both hit the floor.

Niko blinks at the sudden surprise attack, hugging it for dear life. On second thought, it'd be safer to stay up in this tree…

* * *

 **Welcome, welcome to a new story! Yes, I have other ones to write, but I basically burnt myself out in writing majorly because of the massive amount of typing I have to get through in each story. There's so many...! However, my friend Fall2Glory (Fall4Glory on Wattpad), has came up with this collaborative story between the games OneShot & Monster Hunter. This has helped me write more, honestly. So, I highly thank him in his efforts. Don't expect quick updates. It's harder for me to get in a writing mood nowadays. -_-**

 **Thanks for checking this out!**


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